FOOTBALL | Last meetings

It’s not often that a 27-6 victory can be considered an escape. Although the Bulldogs left Princeton Stadium last season with their perfect season still intact, they were outplayed in nearly every facet of the game. The Tigers held a 25-13 advantage in first downs and limited running back Mike McLeod ’09 to just 3 yards per carry. Fortunately for the Elis, their defense came through in a big way, forcing two crucial turnovers on the Yale two-yard line to preserve the Bulldog victory. After entering halftime tied 3-3, Yale ran away with the game in the second half to advance to 9-0 for the first time since 1960.

2006

PRINCETON 34, YALE 31

The Bulldogs’ 34-31 loss to Princeton forced Yale to share the Ivy League championship with the Tigers. Although the Elis jumped out to an early 28-14 halftime lead, the Tigers came roaring back as Princeton quarterback Jeff Terrell led a furious second-half rally. Terrell engineered two touchdown drives in the fourth quarter and ended up finishing the day with 445 yards and three scores, stunning the 43,406 fans in attendance. Terrell’s late-game heroics outshone McLeod’s masterful performance as his 181 rushing yards and four touchdowns became the game’s secondary story.

2005

YALE 21, PRINCETON 14

This game was about as crazy as they get. The Bulldogs scored twice in under 30 seconds in the fourth quarter to shock the Tigers, 21-14, ruining Princeton’s quest for a share of the Ivy League championship. Yale’s defense recorded seven turnovers, including a crucial fumble recovery by a precocious freshman linebacker, Bobby Abare ’09, now the team’s captain. After two straight stops at the one-yard line, quarterback Jeff Mroz ’06 finally sealed the Yale victory. The Elis’ season ended the following week with a triple-overtime heartbreaker, as Harvard eked out a 30-24 win to secure a share of the title.